Human Abilities

gaara4158 said:

It is perfectly rational to behave morally out of pure self-interest...

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Tree of Life said:

David Hume didn't think there was anything rational about moral judgments. Most ethical philosophers have come to agree with his Is/Ought Thesis.

Is/Ought Thesis aside, many times moral behavior is personally painful or costly. Many times moral behavior is not in our personal best interest. Indeed "Greater love has no one than this, that he would lay down his life for his friends." Soldiers who die in order to save others are considered heroes. They acted virtuously at great cost to themselves.

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Tree of Life said:

It is true.

One of the front lines of your intellectual scheme is that there is no god. But for all atheists, this is a very superficial thesis. Deep down, you think, speak, and act as if there was a god. But you have to continually remind yourself and reassert that there is no god. You superficially suppress what you know to be true deep down.

Deep down you acknowledge universal moral norms that bind all people. It's impossible to live otherwise. But if there is no god, there can be no universal norms. When you are wronged you feel a need for justice. But justice is a ridiculous concept if there is no lawgiver and judge. You acknowledge that the universe is full of wonder, awe, and wisdom and that the physical world is governed by a set of laws that can be studied, known, and utilized. But all of this quietly presupposes a rational creator who stands behind the universe.

There are many such deep intuitions and instincts that you live by every day and would be impossible to live without. All of them depend upon the existence of God. You certainly know that he exists, but it displeases you that he exists and so you superficially deny his existence and vainly attempt to suppress the truth that you know deeply.

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